By Marcia Del Rios and Patti Hixon
The Women’s Fund recently awarded nearly $500,000 to 24 organizations working to improve life for women and their children in Central Texas—the highest amount granted in a single year since the inception of the fund in 2004. A priority of the 2022 grants cycle was to provide flexible, multi-year general operating funding so our grant partners, who are experts in their issue areas, can continue implementing proven solutions and help close the opportunity gap in Central Texas.
The Women’s Fund is a signature program of Austin Community Foundation – a collective giving network of individuals and corporations that invest in the economic security of women in Central Texas. We are honored to have led the 2021-22 grant cycle for the Women’s Fund by serving as chairs of the Women’s Fund Grants Committee. The Grants Committee was comprised of a diverse group of 100 individuals representing the Central Texas community.
Serving on this committee has been a unique volunteer experience that rewarded us with exposure to dozens of change-making organizations from across our community. Thanks to our time on the Grants Committee, we’ve been able to deepen our own knowledge of the solutions to tackle some of our community’s most pressing issues facing women and their families.
This is the Women’s Fund’s second round of grants centered in racial equity. In 2020, Women’s Fund investors, nonprofit leaders, and members of our community participated in workshops and focus groups to help us refine our process and take an intersectional approach (gender and race) to our grantmaking. You can learn more about our work here. >
Four impact areas with five key strategies guide the Women’s Fund grantmaking and we’ve incorporated nonprofit and community voice into the process to ensure it is equitable. Through this year’s grantmaking process, we have observed progress in our ability to engage and fund a more diverse group of grant partners led by and serving women of color. You may recognize some of the organizations receiving funding this year and others may be new or less familiar to you. We’re excited to shine a light on the amazing work of our grant partners, and we invite you to learn more about all of them.
2022 Women’s Fund grant partners by funding strategy
Child Care
- Mariposa Family Learning Center – $45,000
- Sammy’s House – $25,000
- Central Texas Allied Health Institute – $10,000
- The Excel Center for Adults – $10,000
- Trinity Child Development Center – $10,000
Education
- Ann Richards School Foundation – $45,000
- Con Mi MADRE – $25,000
- AVANCE – Austin – $10,000
- Jail To Jobs – $10,000
- Latinitas – $10,000
Housing
- Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center – $45,000
- Foundation Communities – $25,000
- Austin Habitat for Humanity – $10,000
- Jeremiah Program – $10,000
- SAFE Alliance – $10,000
Unplanned Pregnancy Prevention
- Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Inc. – $45,000
- People’s Community Clinic – $25,000
- LifeWorks – $10,000
- The Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy – $10,000
Women’s Health
- Of the Earth Institute of Indigenous Cultures and Teachings – $45,000
- GALS, Giving Austin Labor Support – $25,000
- Community Coalition for Health – $10,000
- Contigo Wellness Foundation – $10,000
- WorkingGroup512 – $10,000
Marcia Del Rios served as the 2022 Grants Chair for the Women’s Fund. Patti Hixon served as the 2022 Grants-Chair Elect for the Women’s Fund. Both Marcia and Patti serve on the Women’s Fund Steering Committee.